Folding cover with opening front panel for pickup truck bed

ABSTRACT

A folding cover for a pickup truck bed includes an improved adjustable front hinge support for mounting the cover that permits the front panel to be opened and permits lateral, vertical, and longitudinal adjustment of the cover position. A wire spring latch fastens the front panel in a closed position and provides for vertical latch position adjustment. A rear panel side latch is opened with a depressible latch opener at the rear of the cover. An intermediate panel latch fastens the intermediate panels down at the side of the pickup truck bed. These latches release automatically when the cover is folded. Another intermediate panel side latch has a wire spring pin that can be manually or automatically disengaged. The cover also has wind deflecting sloped side edges integral with the panel frame and hinges integral with the panel frame. Novel seals seal the junctions between adjacent panels.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of applicant's co-pending applicationSer. No. 08/888,685, filed Jul. 7, 1997, which is a continuation ofprovisional application Ser. No. 60/047,895, filed May 29, 1997.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a folding cover for a pickup truck bedemploying improved latching, scaling, attachment, and constructionfeatures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A number of folding covers have been developed for covering pickup truckbeds. Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,844,531 and 4,946,217 (whichare incorporated by reference) disclose the general construction andoperation of such products. In these products, the front panel, or thepanel closest to the cab of the pickup truck, is usually fastened downsecurely and serves as an anchor for the remaining panels of the cover.The disadvantage with this construction is that the front panel cannotbe moved for access purposes. Applicant's co-pending patent applicationSer. No. 08/528,943, discloses a cover wherein the front panel can beopened.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved front latchmechanism and hinge mechanism for a front opening panel of a foldingcover for a pickup truck bed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, an improved hinge-mountingmechanism is employed for attaching the front hinge of a folding panelcover to the inside surface of the pickup truck bed. The improvedmechanism clamps easily to the inside of the pickup truck bed andpermits easy vertical and lateral adjustment of the panel mountingmechanism.

These and other features of the present invention are shown in theattached drawings and described in detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pickup truck employing the cover ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevational view of the truck and cover ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the cover hinge mountingmechanism of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the hinge mounting mechanism shown inFIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 6 is and exploded perspective view of the front panel latchmechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the front panel latch mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the underside of the pickup truck bed cover ofthe present invention, showing an undercover side latch mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the rear panelundercover latch mechanism of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the middle panelundercover latch mechanism of FIG.8.

FIGS. 11a and 11b are fragmentary sectional side elevational views ofthe rear panel latch mechanism of FIG. 8.

FIGS. 12a and 12b are side elevational views of the middle panel latchmechanism of FIG. 8.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a middle panelside latch mechanism.

FIGS. 14a and 14b are side elevational views showing the manner in whichthe side latch mechanism of FIG. 13 is released by lifting the panels.

FIGS. 15a and 15b are enlarged views of the side latch mechanisms ofFIGS. 14a and 14b.

FIGS. 16a and 16b are sectional side views of a hinge seal for thehinges with the hinge pin at the top of the panel.

FIGS. 17a and 17b are sectional side views of a hinge seal for thehinges with the hinge pin at the bottom of the panel.

FIGS. 18a and 18b are sectional side views of an alternative embodimentof a hinge seal for the hinges with the hinge pin at the bottom of thepanel.

FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of the integral extruded frameand hinge of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view of the panel side frame positioned on thesidewall of a pickup truck.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, a pickup truck 10 is shown in FIG. 1 withthe folding cover 12 mounted over the cargo bay or bed 14 of the pickuptruck. The bed has a floor 16, sidewalls 18 and a front wall 20 which isspaced slightly behind the rear of cab 22 of the pickup truck. Atailgate 24 is mounted on the rear of the bed and pivots downwardly oroutwardly.

Cover 12 comprises four longitudinally spaced panels 26, 28, 30 and 32,with panel 32 being the front panel and panel 26 being the rear panel.The panels are connected by hinges that permit the cover to be folded inaccordion fashion.

The manner in which the front two panels 30 and 32 are mounted to thesidewalls of the pickup truck bed is shown in FIGS. 2-5. Panels 30 and32 are connected together by hinge 34, with each leaf 36 of the hingebeing attached to an edge of one of the panels. The hinge can be aconventional piano-type hinge that extends the width of the cover, withthe flat portion of each leaf being attached to the edge of the paneland alternating tubular portions 38 fitting together end-to-end andbeing interconnected by a hinge pin 40.

In the present invention, hinge support plate 42 is a flat plate havinga pair of longitudinally spaced hinge tubes 44 mounted on one side andhaving an elongated tubular or cylindrical bead 46 on the other side.The hinge tubes 44 (there may be one or more) fit into hinge 34 in placeof one or more corresponding hinge tubes 38, that are removed from oneor more of the hinge leaves. Thus, hinge support plate 42 is pivotallymounted on the hinge by hinge pin 40 just as if it were part of thehinge. Hinge support plate 42 extends downwardly below the panels, andthe bead 46 on the lower end is clamped into mounting mechanism 48,which is in turn attached to inner sidewall 50 of the pickup truck bedthrough an opening 52 in the inner sidewall.

Mounting mechanism 48 comprises a mounting block 54, which has a slot 56extending downwardly from the top, with a rounded enlarged portion 58 atthe bottom. The lower end of the hinge support plate fits in this slot,with bead 46 fitting into enlarged portion 58 and being restrained bythe restricted portion of the slot above from upward movement. The hingesupport plate, however, can slide transversely in the slot so that theposition of the panel can be adjusted as desired in a transversedirection on the pickup truck bed. When the proper transverse positionis achieved, a set screw 60 can attach the hinge support plate rigidlyin position in the mounting block.

The mounting block itself has a downwardly extending flange 62 on a sidethereof positioned adjacent the inner sidewall 50 of the truck bed.Flange 62 fits in an opening 64 and a U-shaped mounting member 66, withone leg 68 of the mounting member being positioned inside inner sidewall50 and another leg 70 of the U-shaped mounting member being positionedoutside of the wall. Set screws 72 can be tightened to lock flange 62inside the mounting member.

In the illustrated embodiment, hinge support plate 42 is formed of asingle flat piece of sheet metal, with the hinge tubes and bead beingformed by bending the upper and lower ends of the plate to form ahollow, round shape. A spacer plate 74 is mounted on the intermediateportion 76 of the hinge support plate for reinforcement purposes and toserve as a spacer for maintaining the desired spaced relationship of thetwo hinged leaves when the hinge is closed. Other materials, such asplastics, and other manufacturing methods, such as extrusion or molding,could be used to fabricate the hinge support plates.

In order to mount a panel using this panel mounting mechanism 41, hingesupport plates are first inserted in the hinge at a position that willplace the mounting plates adjacent the inner sidewalls of the truck bed.Mounting blocks 54 are then slid on the lower ends of the hinge supportplates. The panel is then placed on the truck bed and the mountingblocks slid outwardly until they abut the inner sidewalls of the truckbed. U-shaped mounting members 66 are then fitted upwardly throughopening 52 so that inner sidewall 50 and flange 62 fit between legs 68and 70 of the mounting member. The set screws 72 are then tightened toclamp the flanges and mounting blocks in a fixed position against theinner sidewall. The sideways position of the panels can be adjusted andthen the panels can be locked in position by tightening set screws 60.

With the panel mounting mechanism formed in this manner, the panels canbe easily mounted and dismounted from the truck bed, and the positionsof the panels can be adjusted easily for proper fit and alignment.

An improved front latch assembly 80 for releasably securing the frontedge of panel 32 to the front wall 20 of the truck bed is shown in FIGS.6 and 7. Latch mechanism 80 comprises an L-shaped mounting plate 82,with an upper horizontal leg 84 being riveted or otherwise fastened toan upper edge of front wall 20. Right angle leg 86 of the mounting plateextends downwardly adjacent the front edge of front wall 20. At thebottom of vertical leg 86, a mounting block 88 extends outwardlytherefrom. Mounting block 88 has a vertical slot 90 on one side and avertical opening 92 on another side. A pair of threaded openings 94 and96 extend through the block at a position between slot 90 and opening92. Wire spring 98 is mounted in mounting block 88. Wire spring 98 isgenerally U-shaped, having a short leg 100 on one side and a long,resilient leg 102 on the other side. A handle 104 is formed at the upperend of longer leg 102. Just below the handle a cam surface 106 extendsat a downward and inward angle from handle 104 and then a latch formedby a generally horizontal portion 108 extends outwardly into contactwith the upper end of leg 102. Wire spring 98 desirably is formed of aspring wire that is resiliently deflectable. Preferably the wire used isabout 0.090 inches in diameter and is formed from spring steel.

As shown in FIG. 6, short leg 100 of the wire spring fits upwardlythrough opening 92, while longer leg 102 fits in slot 90, with a bottomportion 110 of the spring being positioned below mounting block 88.Surfaces 106 and 108 form a latch member 112.

The spring is mounted on the mounting plate by means of a C-shapedmounting block 114. Mounting block 114 comprises a vertical portion 116with outwardly extending upper and lower flanges 118 and 120. Upperflange 118 has one threaded hole 122 and a slightly enlargednon-threaded hole 124 therethrough. These holes are aligned with holes96 and 94 respectively. Screws 126 and 128 fit through openings 122 and124 and are screwed into threaded openings 96 and 94, with the screw 126also being threaded into threaded hole 122. Screw 128 slides freelythrough non-threaded hole 124.

Lower flange 120 has a slot 130 therein that fits over and retainsbottom portion 110 of the spring against a front wall of the truck bed.

The mounting block is used for the purpose of providing a heightadjustable mounting of wire spring 98. With the wire spring mounted inthe mounting block screw 128 (an adjustment screw) is first positionedthrough opening 124 and threaded all the way through opening 94 untilthe lower end of the screw bears against an upper surface of flange 120.By continuing to advance the screw downwardly through threaded opening94, the C-shaped mounting block is pushed downwardly by the adjustmentscrew, thus lowering the position of latch member 112. When a desiredelevation is reached, screw 126 is threaded into holes 122 and 96, andthis has the effect of locking the mounting block at a desiredelevation.

As shown in FIG. 7, the latch member 112 of the wire spring latch 98releasably locks the front edge of panel 32 in a downward position. Thisis accomplished by means of a latch plate 132 that is screwed or rivetedon the front edge of panel 32. Latch plate 132 has a projection 134extending forwardly therefrom into alignment with latch member 112 ofthe wire spring latch. Projection 134 has a cam surface 136 on a lowersurface that engages cam surface 106 on latch member 112 when the frontpanel is closed. This forces the latch member out of the way until theprojection passes the latch member, at which time the latch membersprings back into a locking position, with surface 108 being positionedabove projection 134 and locking the front edge of the front paneldownwardly against the upper edge of front wall 20. By appropriateadjustment of the C-shaped mounting block, the position of the wirespring latch can be adjusted vertically so that surface 108 snugly abutsprojection 134 when the front panel is fully closed.

In operation, the front panel can be closed and latched simply byslamming it shut. This cams the latch member out of the way and then thelatch member automatically returns to lock the panel in place. Torelease the front latch, handle 104 is simply pivoted outwardly to slidethe latch member off the projection.

The L-shaped mounting plate 82 of the front latch mechanism serves adual purpose. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, a rear edge 140 of leg 84extends rearwardly from front wall 20 of the bed, thereby providing aprojection that extends rearwardly at the top edge of the front wall. Aconventional key locking mechanism 142 is positioned in front panel 32immediately adjacent edge 140 of the L-shaped mounting plate. Thelocking mechanism comprises a key actuated vertical shaft 144 that isrotatably mounted in the panel and extends downwardly below the panel. Alock member 146 extends outwardly from the vertical shaft and isrotatable with the shaft. When lock member 146 is rotated toward frontpanel 20, the lock member fits snugly under overhanging edge 140 of theL-shaped mounting plate, thus locking the front panel down. With lockingmember 146 in its locking position, even if the wire spring latch isreleased, the front edge of the panel will remain locked in position.With the locking member 146 pivoted out of alignment with edge 140, thefront edge of the panel can be raised and lowered.

Another desirable feature of the present invention is that a lockingmechanism is provided for locking down the cover at one or moreintermediate panel joints along the side of the cover. One lockingmechanism 150 is shown in FIGS. 13-15. This is mounted at a junction ofthe panels wherein the panels fold downwardly and inwardly toward eachother, with the junction between the panels rising upwardly as thepanels fold. A mounting bracket 152 is attached by rivets or the like tofront edge of panel 28 adjacent the side of the panel. Mounting bracket152 has a tubular portion at an upper end that is oriented transversely.A spring pin 156 fits in an opening 158 in tubular portion 154 andextends outwardly therefrom to an outer end 160 positioned over the edgeof side panel 18. A C-shaped clip 162 is attached to sidewall 18 so asto be in alignment with wire member 156 when the panel is closed. Theupper surface of clip 162 acts as a cam when the panel is closed,forcing the spring clip sideways when the panel is closed. When the wireclip moves downwardly below the C-clip, it springs back into theC-shaped interior of the clip, locking the panel thusly down to thesidewall of the pickup truck bed.

To release the clip, outer end 160 is deflected outwardly from underC-clip 162. Alternatively, since the open side of the C-clip facesforwardly and the clip is attached to the rearmost panel, when thepanels are raised and pivoted forwardly, this automatically movestubular member downwardly and away from clip 162, thus freeing the clipwithout having to actually disengage the spring member. This movement isshown in FIGS.14 and 15.

It should be understood that the tubular portion 154 can extend all theway across the panel so that the panel will have a rounded bead at thetop edge of each panel. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 14, with the paneljoints that pivot in the other direction (i.e. the panels pivotupwardly) the hinge and the seal over the hinge forms a ridge or raisedportion at the panel joint. Bead 154 produces a similar raised portionon the panels that pivot in the opposite direction, thus providing aconsistent raised ridge at the junction of every panel.

A locking mechanism for locking the panels down also can be positionedon the underside of the panels. As shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 11, amovable latch mechanism 164 is mounted on the underside of rear panel 26and is actuated by a spring biased plunger 166 that is accessible at therear edge of panel 26. The latch member comprises a pair of cam latchmembers 168 interconnected by a movable linkage 170. The latch membersengage latch plates 172 attached to the inner side edges of the innerwalls of the truck bed.

Latch plates 172 are mounted in a manner similar to hinge support 48. AU-shaped clamp 174 fits through an opening 176 in the inner sidewall 178of the truck bed. An L-shaped flange 180 having a downwardly extendingleg 182 and a horizontal leg 184 is clamped in place by clamp 174, withleg 182 being positioned adjacent wall 178, and the clamp having a setscrew 186 that clamps leg 182 against wall 178. The inner edge of leg184 engages latches 168. As shown in the exemplary embodiment latches168 are attached to a cross-link 170, which is pivotally mounted to theunderside of panel 26 by a pin 190, so that the linkage and latches arepivotally mounted in the plane of the panel. Link arm 170 slides througha given range of movement in slots in mounting blocks 192 that areattached to the underside of the panel. Plunger 166 is attached by anarm 196 to linkage 170. A spring 198 biases the plunger in an outwarddirection and the linkage clockwise (FIG. 8). Thus, depressing plunger166 rotates linkage 170 in a counterclockwise direction, but it returnsto its rest position when the plunger is released.

As shown in FIGS. 11a and 11b, latches 168 have a cam surface 200thereon and a flat upper surface 204 that is spaced away from panel 26.The flat upper surface constitutes the upper surface of link 170, whilecam surface 120 is formed on a nylon member 206 attached to theunderside of the link at the outer end.

The latch plate 172 is mounted on the inner sidewall at a position suchthat cam surface 200 strikes the latch plate when the rear panel isclosed. This cam action pivots the linkage in a clockwise directionuntil the latch member can fit completely under leg 184, locking therear panel downwardly. The latches 168 at opposite ends of linkage 170have oppositely facing cam surfaces 200, so that engagement of theselatching surfaces with latch plates 172 causes rotation of the linkagein the same direction for locking purposes.

To unlock the latch, plunger 166 is depressed, which rotates the latchesout from under legs 184 of the latch plate.

It should be understood that a wide variety of latches could be designedto accomplish this purpose. The latches do not need to rotate butinstead could both slide in one direction, laterally or transversely.The significant feature is that latches on both sides of the truck bedare latched simultaneously and are unlatched simultaneously by actuationof a single plunger with the plunger preferably being on a side of thetruck bed adjacent the drivers side of the vehicle.

With the under panel latch mechanism as described, the rear panel isautomatically latched down whenever the rear panel is closed, and it canbe unlatched simply by depressing the convenient plunger at the rearedge of the panel.

In a similar manner the front edge of panel 28 adjacent the junctionbetween panels 28 and 30 can be latched in place automatically wheneverrear panel 26 is closed. As shown in FIGS. 8, 10, and 12, a slide latch210 on each side of the underside of panel 28 is slidably mounted forlongitudinal movement in mounting blocks 212. One end of latch 210 is alatch member 214 that fits under an arm 184' of a latch plate 172' thatis mounted on the inner sidewall of the truck bed adjacent the junctionbetween panels 28 and 30. Latch plate 172' is the same construction aslatch plate 172 but is simply mounted in a different location. Likeparts are given the same number but are primed.

Latch 210 extends rearwardly from panel 28 a short distance and then hasan upwardly extending tab 216 that extends between the adjacent edges ofpanels 26 and 28. A spring 218 for each latch urges the latch rearwardlyto an unlatched position. When panel 28 is open, the springautomatically urges the latch rearwardly and unlatches latch 214 fromlatch plate 172'. This occurs automatically and makes it possible toraise panel 28 whenever panel 26 is opened. Thus, the panels canautomatically be folded together without having to manually unlatchlatch 210. When panel 26 is closed, however, the edge of panel 26engages tab 216 on each of latches 210 and slides these latches intolocking position. Thus, when panel 26 is closed, latch 210 isautomatically latched, holding the junction between panels 28 and 30downwardly on the side edges of the truck bed.

Another feature of the present invention is the manner in which thepanels themselves are formed. As shown in FIG. 8, the panels are formedof flat rectangular members formed of fiberglass, honeycomb, or otherbuilding material. The edges of the panels are framed or enclosed bychannel shaped frame members that cover the edges and the top and bottomof the panel adjacent the edges.

In the present invention, the frame members are formed to incorporateother functions as well as simply framing the panels. As shown in FIG.20, the interior portion 220 of panel 28 (which is the same as all theother panels) is framed on the edge by a special edge extrusion 222.Edge extrusion 222 has upper and lower flanges 224 that fit adjacent theupper and lower surfaces of the edge of the panel. The edge extrusion,however has a downwardly and outwardly curved portion 226 that extendsaway from the panel and arcs downwardly over the sidewall 18 of thepickup truck bed. A lower surface 228 is preferably formed at a slightdownward and outward incline of about 4 degrees, although this is notcritical. A seal 230 formed of rubber or similar material is positionedon the upper edge of the pickup truck bed or on the underside of surface228 to provide a water tight seal between the panel and pickup truckbed. A separate tubular seal 229 also can be used. By using an edgeextrusion having the downwardly and outwardly sloped shape 226 as shown,the need for side wind baffles of the type used in other covers iseliminated. The extrusion typically has an opening 234 therein formaterial conservation and weight reduction purposes.

The extrusion of the edge frame also can incorporate the hinge of thepresent invention. As shown in FIG. 19 each U-shaped extrusion 240 isformed with a cylindrical tubular ridge 242 at one corner thereof.Portions of the tube are cut away so as to form the shape of a hingetube. These hinge tubes can fit together and be locked together by hingepin 244. Thus, the edge extrusion of the panel can be formed so as toincorporate the structure of the hinge itself, and it is not necessaryto provide a separate hinge that needs to be riveted to the side of thepanel. This provides considerable savings in material and assemblycosts.

The manner in which the junctions of the panels are sealed is shown inFIGS. 16-18. Rather than incorporating a seal into the hinge mechanismitself, where it cannot be removed or replaced if it is damaged, theseal for the hinge joint of FIGS. 16a and 16b comprises a flat seal 250formed of a sheet of elastomeric material, preferably with a raisedcenter ridge. This seal is connected by an adhesive 252 to uppersurfaces 254 of adjoining panels wherein the hinge axis pin ispositioned at the upper edge of the panels. The adhesive can be coatedon the underside of the seal and protected before use by release paper;or the adhesive material can be applied at the time that the seal isapplied.

When the hinge pin is positioned at the bottom edge of the panels, asshown in FIGS. 17a and 17b, an adhesive seal 256 can be attached byadhesive 258 to the side edges of the panels and a fold 260 of extramaterial can be provided between the panels in order to providesufficient seal material to permit the panels to pivot to a wide openposition as shown in FIG. 17b.

Another type of seal for panels wherein the hinge pin is located at thebottom of the panels is shown in FIGS. 18a and 18b. The seal is anelongated resilient member 262 having an enlarged tubular or cylindricalhead 264 on the top and leg flange 266 extending downwardly. The legflange has adhesive 268 on one side and is affixed to the edge of apanel, with the leg substantially filling the gap between the panelswhen the cover is closed. The enlarged head 264 is positioned just aboutthe panel surfaces so that it bridges the gap between the panels andseals the gap from moisture. Desirably the bead is positioned at thejunction so it engages both sides of the gap when the cover is closed.In addition to keeping out water, the seal creates a raised ridge abovethe panel surfaces that is similar to the raised ridges created by thehinges on adjacent panels, wherein the hinge pin is at the top of thepanel, this giving the cover a consistent appearance from panel topanel.

It should be understood that the foregoing are merely exemplary of thepreferred practice of the present invention and that various changes andmodifications may be made in the arrangements and details ofconstruction of the invention without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A cover for a pickup truck bed comprising a plurality ofhinged panel sections positioned side by side and extending across thebed so that ends of the panels are positioned over opposite sidewalls ofthe bed, adjacent sides of adjacent panels being connected together byhinges that permit the panels to be folded together in accordionfashion, at least one hinge permitting the adjacent panels which itinterconnects to be folded upwardly about a hinge axis of the one hinge;anda mounting bracket that secures the one hinge to the pickup truck bedso as to permit pivotal movement of each of the adjacent panels aboutthe hinge axis while the hinge is secured to the pickup truck bed, themounting bracket being constructed so as to permit adjustment of thebracket in three axes, vertical, transverse, and longitudinal, such thatthe cover can be positioned properly on different pickup truck bedshaving different dimensions and shapes.
 2. A cover according to claim 1,wherein the mounting bracket comprises:a hinge support member pivotallyattached to the hinge at the hinge axis; and a mounting mechanismmounting the hinge support member on the pickup truck bed, the mountingmechanism being adjustable so as to permit position adjustment of thecover with respect to the bed.
 3. A cover according to claim 2 whereinthe position of the support member is laterally adjustable in themounting mechanism.
 4. A cover according to claim 2 wherein the mountingmechanism permits vertical adjustment of the support member with respectto the pickup truck bed.
 5. A cover according to claim 2 wherein themounting mechanism permits longitudinal adjustment of the support memberwith respect to the pickup truck bed.
 6. A cover according to claim 2wherein:the support member is a transverse flat support plate thatpivotally mounts on a hinge pin of the hinge at an upper end anddescends downwardly between opposed leaves of the hinge to a lower endpositioned below the hinge, the lower end having an enlarged beadthereon; the mounting mechanism comprises:a mounting block in the formof a right angle flange having a horizontal portion and a verticalportion, the horizontal portion having a downwardly extending slottherein having a narrow upper portion and an enlarged lower portion, theslot fitting over the plate and bead and permitting linear movement ofthe bead in the enlarged portion of the slot, the narrow portion of theslot being smaller than the bead so as to constrain the bead to linearmovement in the slot; a mounting member attachable to the pickup truckbed, the mounting member receiving the vertical portion of the mountingblock in an opening therein, the mounting member permitting vertical andlongitudinal adjustment of the vertical portion of the mounting blockwith respect to the pickup truck bed, the mounting member furthercomprising means for releasably locking the mounting block to the pickuptruck bed member in a desired position.
 7. A cover according to claim 2wherein the mounting mechanism comprises:a mounting block that fits overa bead on the hinge support member and constrains the bead to transverselinear movement in the mounting block; and bed mounting means forattaching the mounting block to the pickup truck bed.
 8. A coveraccording to claim 7 wherein the bed mounting means is adjustable topermit vertical and longitudinal adjustment of the mounting blockposition with respect to the pickup truck bed.
 9. A cover according toclaim 8 wherein the mounting block has a vertical flange positionedadjacent the sidewall of the bed and the bed mounting means comprises areleasable clamp that clamps the flange to the sidewall in a desiredposition with respect to the sidewall.
 10. A cover for a pickup truckbed according to claim 1 wherein a front panel is hinged at a rear edgethereof and positioned such that a front edge of the front panel ispositioned over a front wall of the pickup truck bed and lifts upwardlyto provide access to the portion of the bed under the panel, the coverfurther including a spring biased front latch mechanism that releasablyfastens the front edge of the front panel to the front wall of the bed,the front latch mechanism comprising:a latch mounting plate mounted onan upper edge of the front wall of the bed; a wire spring member mountedon the latch mounting plate and extending upwardly at a positionadjacent the front edge of the front panel when it is closed, the wirespring member having an offset portion that serves as a latch on a lowerside and serves as a cam surface on an upper side, the spring wiremember having an upper end that is manually manipulated and serves as alatch handle, the cam and latch being positioned such that when thecover is being closed, the cam is engaged so that the latch is deflectedaway from a latching position to a released position as the panel isclosed and then the wire spring member resiliently urges the latch to alocking position holding the front edge of the front panel down on theupper edge of the front wall of the bed, the handle being manuallymanipulatable to deflect the latch to its released position in order toopen the front panel.
 11. A cover according to claim 1 wherein the frontlatch mechanism further comprises a latch engaging plate mounted on thefront edge of the front panel, the latch engaging plate having aprojection that extends forwardly from the front edge of the panel, theprojection being in the path of the cam and latch such that theprojection engages the cam when the panel is being closed and the latchengages the projection to hold the front edge of the panel down.